OH. DANG. Yes, this is one TASTY little party sandwich that you’re going to want to make this season! Oh, yes indeedy!!

We had leftover grilled steak that had been on sale, a little broccoli rabe, and partial packages of cocktail rye and pumpernickel bread, soooooo, THIS happened!!

And you want to talk about an easy to make but looks fancy pants appetizer that’s loaded with steakhouse flavors! This was one of my best mini sandwiches yet!

Cocktail bread really took a backseat to Hawaiian rolls in the past decade, and it’s really a shame! I think there’s plenty of room for both! Especially when you don’t want all that sweetness that can sometimes clash and even overpower what’s going on them. So don’t forget about this economical bread! It’s so fun to play with!

So, to make these these little party sandwiches, you simply start with any cut of grilled steak that you enjoy. Filet/beef tenderloin, ribeye, porterhouse, even flank steak is perfectly fine, because we slice the cooked steak very thinly against the grain.

The second element, is the wonderful broccoli rabe! I try to sneak in vegetables, especially green ones, whenever I can get then past Mr. Picky Pants!

He didn’t seem to mind it on these sandwiches, due to everything else going on with these, but I used more in a later recipe (coming soon), that he really didn’t care much for at all.

*Some people are very sensitive to the slight bitterness of broccoli rabe, and if you’re one of them, you can always use coarsely chopped broccoli or broccolini.

But I don’t care for everything being so sweet all the time, and prefer more of a umami of flavors! That little tiny bit of bitterness was wonderful with the sweetness of the steak, sauce, breads, and cheese!

I mean, just look how gorgeous it is! What’s not to love, right?

So coarsely chop it up, discarding any thick stems, (especially the ends), and toss it with the rest of the sauté ingredients!

Give it a nice little stir fry, then pop a lid over it to keep it warm. *I only needed a small frying pan that didn’t have a lid, but as you can see, any lid will do!

So don’t be afraid to just grab whatever you’ve got. It doesn’t have to fit, just cover to stay warm without touching the lid.

And we’re ready to assemble! I placed the cocktail rye bread on the bottom…

…then our leftover, thinly sliced grilled steak! *No need to even warm the steak. It will reheat perfectly when we cook the sandwiches!

Next comes a simple balsamic and mustard reduction! SO delicious!!!

Then pile on some of that, ahem, WONDERFUL broccoli rabe sauté! I added just a bit of crisp-cooked bacon the that mixture, along with sweet red onion, garlic, and a few other goodies!

I ate several bites of it right from the pan with a fork!! It was SO GOOD!!!

Lastly, we add more cheese on top. Don’t be stingy with it, either. It looks like a lot more simply because it’s shredded, but when it melts, it will greatly reduce.

*White cheddar, is simply cheddar that does not have yellow dye added. Just a little FYI for ya!

To cook these, just melt small pools of butter on a flat griddle over medium-low heat. Then place your little sandwich right into each pool of melted butter.

Then top them with another slice of buttered cocktail bread, cook the bottoms until golden and the bottom layer of cheese is melting.

Then flip them over and cook the other side. I used both rye and pumpernickel for each sandwich, as that’s what I happened to have on hand! Wonderful combination!

Once done, remove them to a cutting board, and let them rest for a minute or two.

You can serve these just like this…..

….and let guests grab a few. But…

…we prefer to slice them in half, corner-to-corner, for several reasons.

One, they’re much easier to eat this way!!

And two, they go a lot farther this way also!! Though these mini sandwiches are small, they’re quite filling!!

Not only that, but if you make, say, 10 of them, you’ll end up with 20 halves!

Pick each of them with a fancy pick and an olive for a nice presentation for guests if you want!

But since it was just the hubs and I, we plowed through them cut, and just as is!

With all of the holidays, (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, football Sundays and the Super Bowl, etc.), I’m sure that you’ll want to make these for one event or another!

So be sure to save and Pin this recipe for Mini White Cheddar Ribeye Patty Melts with Bacon Broccoli Rabe! These little guys were AWESOME, and so super easy to make, that you might just want them for lunch or supper, too!

Instructions

Grill *steak(s), (seasoned), to desired doneness. (*Filet/tenderloin, ribeye, porterhouse, sirloin, etc.) Tent and set aside. Then cover and chill until needed. *Can be done the day before.

Make Balsamic Drizzle: In small saucepan, add balsamic and brown sugar, bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar over medium-high heat, reduce heat to medium, and cook until reduced by about half and thickened to a syrupy consistency. (*About 10 minutes.) Whisk in mustard.

Make Broccoli Rabe: In frying pan, add butter and EVOO, and melt over medium heat. Add rest of ingredients, reduce heat to low, and sauté until broccoli rabe is crisp-tender to soft, as preferred. Stir frequently. When tender, stir in bacon crumbles, cover and set aside.

Assemble: Place slices of cocktail bread, pumpernickel or rye, onto a cutting board. Top with grated cheese, thinly sliced steak (sliced against the grain), a little balsamic syrup drizzle, spoonfuls of broccoli rabe, drizzle with more balsamic syrup if desired, top with more cheese, then another slice of *bread that has been buttered on one side *using a different style than the bottom for extra flavor, variety, and fun. (Place top bread slice buttered side facing up.)

Cook: On a flat griddle, add pats of butter (same amount as sandwiches), and melt over medium-low heat into small pools. Place sandwiches onto pools of butter, and cook until bottom is toasted and bottom layer of cheese has melted. Carefully turn over, and cook until second side is toasted, rest of cheese has melted, and sandwich is warmed through.

Remove back to cutting board and slice each in half corner-to-corner, and serve hot!